YORKSHIRE and Humber MEP Amjad Bashir has made an impassioned plea to the European Parliament to lead the way in halting Myanmar’s violent prosecution of Rohingya Muslims.
Mr Bashir called for the parliament’s current plenary session in Strasbourg to include an extraordinary debate on the Rohingya and to broker an inter-governmental summit to end the genocide.
Having travelled to Bangladesh himself to meet Rohingya survivors in the refugee camps there, he told fellow MEPs: "Hundreds of thousands have escaped Myanmar, hundreds of thousands are sill trapped. Babies are being born on the beach. The lucky ones will be put on a boat to Bangladesh, the rest will be left to die.
"The British Prime Minister has vowed to tackle 'inhuman destruction of Rohingya people'.
"I plead only for your authorisation for an extraordinary debate to consider the Situation of the Rohingya."
"After lengthy discussions with the UN, Bangladesh, Myanmar and the UK, I believe the EU should now convene an inter-governmental summit to put an end to this genocide.
"For the sake of humanity, let this House lead the way forward."
Mr Bashir is awaiting a decision on his request from the parliament's President Antonio Tajani.
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